Dataset Information

Pimobendan Inhibits HBV Transcription and Replication by Suppressing HBV Promoters Activity.

ABSTRACT: Current anti-HBV therapeutic strategy relies on interferon and nucleos(t)ide-type drugs with the limitation of functional cure, inducing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss in very few patients. Notably, the level of HBsAg has been established as an accurate indicator to evaluate the drug efficacy and predict the disease prognosis, thus exploring a novel drug targeting HBsAg will be of great significance. Herein, by screening 978 compounds from an FDA-approved drug library and determining the inhibitory function of each drug on HBsAg level in HepG2.2.15 cells supernatant, we identified that pimobendan (Pim) has a powerful antiviral activity with relatively low cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effect of Pim on HBsAg as well as other HBV markers was validated in HBV-infected cell models and HBV-transgenic mice. Mechanistically, real-time PCR and dual-luciferase reporter assay were applied to identify the partial correlation of transcription factor CAAT enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) with the cccDNA transcription regulated by Pim. This indicates Pim is an inhibitor of HBV transcription through suppressing HBV promoters to reduce HBV RNAs levels and HBsAg production. In conclusion, Pim was identified to be a transcription inhibitor of cccDNA, thereby inhibiting HBsAg and other HBV replicative intermediates both in vitro and in vivo. This report may provide a promising lead for the development of new anti-HBV agent.

SUBMITTER: Yuan SY

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9204083 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Pimobendan Inhibits HBV Transcription and Replication by Suppressing HBV Promoters Activity.

Yuan Si-Yu SY Yu Hai-Bo HB Yang Zhen Z Qin Yi-Ping YP Ren Ji-Hua JH Cheng Sheng-Tao ST Ren Fang F Law Betty Yuen Kwan BYK Wong Vincent Kam Wai VKW Ng Jerome P L JPL Zhou Yu-Jiao YJ He Xin X Tan Ming M Zhang Zhen-Zhen ZZ Chen Juan J

Frontiers in pharmacology 20220603

Current anti-HBV therapeutic strategy relies on interferon and nucleos(t)ide-type drugs with the limitation of functional cure, inducing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss in very few patients. Notably, the level of HBsAg has been established as an accurate indicator to evaluate the drug efficacy and predict the disease prognosis, thus exploring a novel drug targeting HBsAg will be of great significance. Herein, by screening 978 compounds from an FDA-approved drug library and determining t ...[more]

PMID: 35721154

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Project description:BackgroundProgressive hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can result in cirrhosis, hepatocellular cancer, and chronic hepatitis. While antiviral drugs that are now on the market are efficient in controlling HBV infection, finding a functional cure is still quite difficult. Identifying host factors involved in regulating the HBV life cycle will contribute to the development of new antiviral strategies. Zinc finger proteins have a significant function in HBV replication, according to earlier studies. Zinc finger protein 148 (ZNF148), a zinc finger transcription factor, regulates the expression of various genes by specifically binding to GC-rich sequences within promoter regions. The function of ZNF148 in HBV replication was investigated in this study.MethodsHepG2-Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (HepG2-NTCP) cells and Huh7 cells were used to evaluate the function of ZNF148 in vitro. Northern blotting and real-time PCR were used to quantify the amount of viral RNA. Southern blotting and real-time PCR were used to quantify the amount of viral DNA. Viral protein levels were elevated, according to the Western blot results. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to examine the transcriptional activity of viral promoters. ZNF148's impact on HBV in vivo was investigated using an established rcccDNA mouse model.ResultsZNF148 overexpression significantly decreased the levels of HBV RNAs and HBV core DNA in HBV-infected HepG2-NTCP cells and Huh7 cells expressing prcccDNA. Silencing ZNF148 exhibited the opposite effects in both cell lines. Furthermore, ZNF148 inhibited the activity of HBV ENII/Cp and the transcriptional activity of cccDNA. Mechanistic studies revealed that ZNF148 attenuated retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRα) expression by binding to the RXRα promoter sequence. RXRα binding site mutation or RXRα overexpression abolished the suppressive effect of ZNF148 on HBV replication. The inhibitory effect of ZNF148 was also observed in the rcccDNA mouse model.ConclusionsZNF148 inhibited HBV replication by downregulating RXRα transcription. Our findings reveal that ZNF148 may be a new target for anti-HBV strategies.

Project description:Host factors play multiple essential roles in the replication and pathogenesis of mammalian neurotropic viruses. However, the cellular proteins of the central nervous system (CNS) involved in avian neurotropic virus infection have not been completely elucidated. Here, we employed a gene microarray to identify caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 11 (CARD11), a lymphoma-associated scaffold protein presenting brain-specific upregulated expression in a virulent neurotropic Newcastle disease virus (NDV)-infected natural host. Chicken primary neuronal cells infected with NDV appeared slightly syncytial and died quickly. CARD11 overexpression inhibited viral replication and delayed cytopathic effects; conversely, depletion of CARD11 enhanced viral replication and cytopathic effects in chicken primary neuronal cells. The inhibition of viral replication by CARD11 could not be blocked with CARD11-Bcl10-MALT1 (CBM) signalosome and NF-κB signaling inhibitors. CARD11 was found to interact directly with the viral phosphoprotein (P) through its CC1 domain and the X domain of P; this X domain also mediated the interaction between P and the viral large polymerase protein (L). The CARD11 CC1 domain and L competitively bound to P via the X domain that hindered the P-L interaction of the viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex, resulting in a reduction of viral polymerase activity in a minigenome assay and inhibition of viral replication. Animal experiments further revealed that CARD11 contributed to viral replication inhibition and neuropathology in infected chicken brains. Taken together, our findings identify CARD11 as a brain-specific antiviral factor of NDV infection in avian species.IMPORTANCE Newcastle disease virus (NDV) substantially impacts the poultry industry worldwide and causes viral encephalitis and neurological disorders leading to brain damage, paralysis, and death. The mechanism of interaction between this neurotropic virus and the avian central nervous system (CNS) is largely unknown. Here, we report that host protein CARD11 presented brain-specific upregulated expression that inhibited NDV replication, which was not due to CARD11-Bcl10-MALT1 (CBM) complex-triggered activation of its downstream signaling pathways. The inhibitory mechanism of viral replication is through the CARD11 CC1 domain, and the viral large polymerase protein (L) competitively interacts with the X domain of the viral phosphoprotein (P), which hampers the P-L interaction, suppressing the viral polymerase activity and viral replication. An in vivo study indicated that CARD11 alleviated neuropathological lesions and reduced viral replication in chicken brains. These results provide insight into the interaction between NDV infection and the host defense in the CNS and a potential antiviral target for viral neural diseases.

Project description:BackgroundHepatitis B virus (HBV) transcription and replication are essentially restricted to hepatocytes. Based on the HBV enhancer and promoter complex that links hepatic glucose metabolism to its transcription and replication, HBV adopts a regulatory system that is unique to the hepatic gluconeogenic genes. CRTC2, the CREB-regulated transcription coactivator 2, is a critical switch modulating the gluconeogenic program in response to both hormonal and intracellular signals. However, the relationship between CRTC2 and HBV transcription and replication remains unclear.MethodsTo analyze the influence of CRTC2 on HBV transcription and replication, CRTC2 expression construct or siRNA was cotransfected with plasmids containing enhancer II/core promoter complex-controlled luciferase or 1.3× wtHBV genome in Huh-7 cells. Luciferase activity, HBV core protein expression, HBV transcripts, and DNA replication intermediates were measured by luciferase assays, western blots, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Southern blots, respectively. Forskolin (FSK) or phosphorylation-defective CRTC2 mutants were further utilized to elucidate the potential mechanism. siRNA against peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-? coactivator 1? (PGC1?) was also used to examine the mediator involved in CRTC2-regulated HBV biosynthesis in Huh-7 cells.ResultsCRTC2 overexpression increased HBV transcription and replication in Huh-7 cells, including levels of core protein expression, mRNA, and DNA replication intermediates. Correspondingly, CRTC2 knock down by siRNA reduced HBV biosynthesis. FSK treatment strongly enhanced the effect of CRTC2 through triggering the dephosphorylation and nuclear entry of CRTC2. The phosphorylation-defective mutant (S171A/S275A) of CRTC2 localized in the nucleus and was constitutively active, which dramatically promoted HBV transcription and replication similar to FSK-treated wild-type CRTC2. Knock down of PGC1?, whose expression was induced by CRTC2, greatly compromised the enhancing effect of CRTC2 on HBV transcription and replication.ConclusionsOur results clearly indicate that non-phosphorylated CRTC2 strongly enhances HBV biosynthesis through inducing PGC1? expression. Further study of the mechanisms will elucidate the importance of metabolic signals on HBV transcription and replication, and offer insight into potential targets for developing anti-HBV agents.

Dataset Information

Pimobendan Inhibits HBV Transcription and Replication by Suppressing HBV Promoters Activity.

Publications

Pimobendan Inhibits HBV Transcription and Replication by Suppressing HBV Promoters Activity.

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